Detroit's Meijer Grand Opening Discussion

**animatedmartian** · April-28-14, 10:59 PM

Meijer's 2nd Detroit store is set to break ground May 15th. Expected to be open by 2015.

http://www.mlive.com/business/detroi...d_on_nort.html

**scooter** · April-29-14, 07:45 AM

There's also a Dots that will be opening soon, in addition to a Payless Shoe Source that's already open.[/QUOTE]
sorry DOTS will not be opening they filed Bankruptcy earlier this year, they are closing all the stores.
I do llike this Meijers, just heard on news today one is going to open on the far west side

**rex** · April-29-14, 10:44 AM

On the site of Old Redford High.
So they plan to remove all the abandoned houses in Old Redford and Brightmoor. Wonder how many that is? Wonder what it will look like from the sky when they're done.

jimmyr · April-29-14, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

Meijer's 2nd Detroit store is set to break ground May 15th. Expected to be open by 2015.

http://www.mlive.com/business/detroi...d_on_nort.html

With all due respect, seems like everyone in the city has an EBT card. It's not as if this is a store that's going to cater to thousands of yuppies with high incomes, it's going to cater to thousands of people on welfare. Just being real.

**drjeff** · April-29-14, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by jimmyr

With all due respect, seems like everyone in the city has an EBT card. It's not as if this is a store that's going to cater to thousands of yuppies with high incomes, it's going to cater to thousands of people on welfare. Just being real.

So? Do people on welfare not need food, groceries, clothes, etc.?

**DetroitPlanner** · April-29-14, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by jimmyr

With all due respect, seems like everyone in the city has an EBT card. It's not as if this is a store that's going to cater to thousands of yuppies with high incomes, it's going to cater to thousands of people on welfare. Just being real.

Do you know this area? Yes there are some poor neighborhoods in the vicinity but there are also high income neighborhoods as well. It is very much a mixed bag. Do not paint with such a broad brush.
http://www.zillow.com/local-info/MI-...ople/r_270037/

**jt1** · April-29-14, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by jimmyr

With all due respect, seems like everyone in the city has an EBT card.

I really don't know what to say to this idiotic statement.

jimmyr · April-29-14, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by jt1

I really don't know what to say to this idiotic statement.

Idiotic? Ignore the statistics all you want. If you think a grocery store catering to EBT card holders signifies any type of recovery you're sadly mistaken. It signifies a company saw how many people have EBT cards within a certain radius and said we can make money here, because unlike a job [[which can be lost), those EBT cards are flush every month. This is not a "Oh we think yuppies are moving in" development.

**rex** · April-29-14, 11:21 AM

Unexpected commitment by Meijers. When they put the 8mile store in all i could think was they are trying as hard as possible to build a store thats barely in Detroit
EBT card holders need to eat too breh

**Hypestyles** · April-29-14, 11:23 AM

Isn't the second location in the general vicinity of Metro Foodland? The speculation is that this could cut sharply into their operations-- the one remaining African American-owned "full service" grocery store in the city.

**jt1** · April-29-14, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by jimmyr

Idiotic? Ignore the statistics all you want. If you think a grocery store catering to EBT card holders signifies any type of recovery you're sadly mistaken. It signifies a company saw how many people have EBT cards within a certain radius and said we can make money here, because unlike a job [[which can be lost), those EBT cards are flush every month. This is not a "Oh we think yuppies are moving in" development.

Quite a tangent. I was addressing your statement that it seems like everyone in the city gets EBT cards. But troll away. Us dummy Detroiters will jus' use are bridge cards and buy pop, chips and cadillacs.

Since you cited statistics: Can you supply the number/percent of Detroiters that receive EBT cards? Can you also compare it to rural communities?

**DetroitPlanner** · April-29-14, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

Isn't the second location in the general vicinity of Metro Foodland? The speculation is that this could cut sharply into their operations-- the one remaining African American-owned "full service" grocery store in the city.

It is a couple of miles away. The grocery store you are thinking of is where Grand River, Southfield and Fenkell meet. The Meijer will be at Six and Grand River; just East of Lahser.

The Foodland definitely has a better location in terms of traffic counts. The Meijer's location is no slouch and they were able to acquire the land on the cheap from the school district. The Meijer will be on the site of the old Redford High.

I would assume that many of Foodland shoppers will only venture to Meijer for big shopping and the Meijer may be able to be tapped by people coming into the area by Foodland because they [[Foodland) have a fuller line of groceries and better service. For example, it is hard to talk to a butcher at a store like Meijer, but a store like Foodland it would be easier to get the cuts in the sizes that you like.

**bailey** · April-29-14, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by jt1

Quite a tangent. I was addressing your statement that it seems like everyone in the city gets EBT cards. But troll away. Us dummy Detroiters will jus' use are bridge cards and buy pop, chips and cadillacs.

Since you cited statistics: Can you supply the number/percent of Detroiters that receive EBT cards? Can you also compare it to rural communities?

In 2011, 41 percent of Detroit households
reported receiving food assistance. The
rate for Wayne County, outside of Detroit,
was 16.6 percent, while the state, minus
Detroit, came in at 16.5 percent

http://www.datadrivendetroit.org/pub..._SDCReport.pdf

and, if you look at the graph in the materials and the other statistics, I'm guessing it hasn't gone down since 2011...so not all, but about half the households.

**jt1** · April-29-14, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

In 2011, 41 percent of Detroit households
reported receiving food assistance. The
rate for Wayne County, outside of Detroit,
was 16.6 percent, while the state, minus
Detroit, came in at 16.5 percent

http://www.datadrivendetroit.org/pub..._SDCReport.pdf

so, not all.... and if you look at the graph in the materials and the other statistics, I'm guessing it hasn't gone down since 2011

I would say 40% is significantly less than, 'not all'. Not much above twice the state average. Certainly not in line with the typical narrative. Now let's look at the rural communities that are never vilified for being welfare queens

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · April-29-14, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by jimmyr

With all due respect, seems like everyone in the city has an EBT card. It's not as if this is a store that's going to cater to thousands of yuppies with high incomes, it's going to cater to thousands of people on welfare. Just being real.

Whenever anyone starts a statement by saying "with all due respect", you can be sure that whatever they say has no respect at all.

I doubt everyone in Grandmont-Rosedale, which is not very far away, has an EBT card.

The new store will provide a lot of jobs. Nothing to complain about.

**DetroitPlanner** · April-29-14, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by jt1

I would say 40% is significantly less than, 'not all'. Not much above twice the state average. Certainly not in line with the typical narrative. Now let's look at the rural communities that are never vilified for being welfare queens

I agree. The market area will be much smaller than the entire City. It will also draw some folks from Redford Twp as most as not your sterotypical suburban wusses. Yes you will get people using EBT cards, Brightmoor is not far from this location; but that happens everywhere. My own observations show that many are used in places like Family Dollar or Dollar General stores that have a much more localized population market.

jimmyr · April-29-14, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

The new store will provide a lot of jobs. Nothing to complain about.

Agree and I never complained about the jobs aspect of it. This thread, and the narrative of discussion around Detroit seems to use the Meijer openings as proof of some recovery. Everyone with an EBT isn't a recovery. Everyone on EBT signifies economic collapse and is a drain on tax payers.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · April-29-14, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by jimmyr

Agree and I never complained about the jobs aspect of it. This thread, and the narrative of discussion around Detroit seems to use the Meijer openings as proof of some recovery. Everyone with an EBT isn't a recovery. Everyone on EBT signifies economic collapse and is a drain on tax payers.

If Meijer already had a store at that location and closed it, I assume you would say it was evidence of further decline. I'd agree with that.

And yet Meijer deciding to build a store there is not evidence of recovery. What would be evidence of any sort of recovery?

**Crumbled_pavement** · April-29-14, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

What would be evidence of any sort of recovery?

Everybody magically pulling themselves up by the bootstraps and turning into doctors and lawyers and wealthy entrepreneurs out of thin air. Anything less shows those people are not productive and should not be invested in.

**jt1** · April-29-14, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Crumbled_pavement

Everybody magically pulling themselves up by the bootstraps and turning into doctors and lawyers and wealthy entrepreneurs out of thin air. Anything less shows those people are not productive and should not be invested in.

Then those people would start driving cadillacs which could only mean.........that they are welfare queens with EBT cards. And who wants to shop at a Meijer that is full of people on welfare that waste their money buying cadillacs.

**lizaanne** · April-29-14, 02:29 PM

Wow - the gross generalizations are rampant here! No wonder people outside of this area have the impression that Detroit is a garbage pit of worthless welfare trash - we don't need them to say it, folks here do just fine saying it on their own! How disappointing.

On an up side - I think the Marshall's store at 8 Mile is probably the nicest one I've ever been in. It's large, clean, well stocked, and has really great merchandise. When I shopped there recently, there were security guards in vehicles driving all around, and I felt completely safe. If only Somerset had as much visible security!!

**hybridy** · April-29-14, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by jimmyr

With all due respect, seems like everyone in the city has an EBT card. It's not as if this is a store that's going to cater to thousands of yuppies with high incomes, it's going to cater to thousands of people on welfare. Just being real.

the walmarts of the world like it that way. its taxpayer funded profits lining the pockets of the waltons and other 1%.

more people on food stamps = more profits to discount retailers

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/we...ife-food-stamp

50 yrs ago GM was the biggest employer in ohio, now wal mart is. 50 yrs ago GM pay didn't qualify you for government assistance.

**jt1** · April-29-14, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by hybridy

50 yrs ago GM was the biggest employer in ohio, now wal mart is. 50 yrs ago GM pay didn't qualify you for government assistance.

To be clear:

If the recipients are suburban/rural/white it is short term help to get them through a rough time.

If the recipients are black/urban then it is welfare.

Can we keep the theme from some of the posters here consistent?

jimmyr · April-29-14, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by hybridy

the walmarts of the world like it that way. its taxpayer funded profits lining the pockets of the waltons and other 1%.

more people on food stamps = more profits to discount retailers

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/we...ife-food-stamp

50 yrs ago GM was the biggest employer in ohio, now wal mart is. 50 yrs ago GM pay didn't qualify you for government assistance.

Yup. Most of the workers at these Detroit stores will be employed but not make enough to lose their their EBT cards. Development is great, but let's be clear on what another grocery store in the city really means.

**softailrider** · April-29-14, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I agree. The market area will be much smaller than the entire City. It will also draw some folks from Redford Twp as most as not your sterotypical suburban wusses. Yes you will get people using EBT cards, Brightmoor is not far from this location; but that happens everywhere. My own observations show that many are used in places like Family Dollar or Dollar General stores that have a much more localized population market.

What's a stereotypical suburban wuss? Could you elaborate please - I'm seriously interested.